Jaeger
by SoaringGryphonProductions
Summary: Princess Celestia is young, and ambitious. She soon sets her eyes on invading the Griffon Kingdom. What she did not count on was resistance. Thus began the invasion of the Griffon Kingdom, and the First Equestrian-Griffon War. Please read and review, and choose your side.
1. Chapter 1

**My Little Pony: Jaeger**

 **Chapter 1: 1862**

The Griffon Kingdom was once a proud kingdom which griffons lived in prosperity and made a living mining the mountains for treasures. Yet the ponies were a gaining power to the south. It was only a matter of time until Princess Celestia set her eyes on the northern kingdom. It was only a matter of time before Celestia gave her order to attack.

The Equestrian Army was a confident one, and the largest in all the kingdoms. They had all the modern weapons, and the most disciplined soldiers. The best of the best came from the Gritish Isles. They were first to be sent to the north. Many of them thought the griffons would be a pushover, and they would surrender without firing a single shot.

The Equestrian Army's Gritish Forces were armed with the 1853 Enfield while the Equestrian Regulars or 'Blues' had the Springfield. They thought the griffons were too lazy and stupid to even fire a shot at the ponies. They called the griffons 'savages', 'dirty catbirds' and 'filthy flying rats'. They were not ready to mix species or embrace diversity.

Commanding the ponies was Flash Sentry. His orders from Celestia were simple, "Kill them all, and do not stop until Griffonstone falls,"

The army rolled through the griffon lands. They torched and plundered villages. They killed tercels, hens, and hatchlings without mercy. To them, the only good griffon is a dead one. The laughter of the ponies mixed the black smoke and flames from a captured town. Yet from the ashes and charred ruins of the countryside, the griffons mobilized.

The griffon commanders and nobles heard of the atrocities committed by Equestria's Armies by those that fled the villages that were destroyed by Equestrian torches. One of the commanders was Countess Galiana Von Adler. She was elected to lead the forces against Equestria. She would soon be a rock in the hoof of every Equestrian Commander.

An eagle and black panther griffon all black from beak to tail, Galiana is an imposing yet attractive figure in the army. With a pretty face, a perfectly-sized beak, and big, healthy youthful flanks, she is the heart and soul of her army. Griffon regulars are often called 'green-blacks' because of their dark green and black coats with brass buttons.

She was stationed at Fort Falke, and got news of the ponies on the march, "Present...Arms!" she commanded to her force of 1500 regulars.

She inspected her troops to make sure they were in tiptop order from their weapons to their uniforms. It was nearly dinner time at the fort, and the griffons looked forward to Kielbasa stew with Potatoes and Beans commonly called 'Soldier Stew'. Galiana knew these were young tercels and griffon hens that wanted to fight back against Equestria.

The ponies were three weeks march and flight away from Griffonstone. Fort Falke was one of the key defensive positions in the kingdom. These forts are Fort Falke, Fort Guto, and Fort Adler. These fortresses were carved into the mountains and defended by cannon and rifle-griffons. If these fortresses all fell, then Griffon Kingdom will fall with them.

They even carved out trenches into the mountains between the fortresses to both fight back against an enemy, and help with communication between garrisons. Galiana dismissed her troops to go get supper. She looked out at the valley while eating her meal. She knew the enemy will come, and the only way to Griffonstone is through them.

Gabriella, or 'Gabby' as she prefers to be called, is Countess Von Adler's second-in-command, "I have word from a scout from Fort Guto,"

Galiana is a she-griffon of very few words, but showed compassion for her troops. Even with the overwhelming numbers of troops coming to crush the griffon resistance, the countess was calm under the pressure. She turned to young soldier with bright eyes and puffy cheeks, and nodded to her, "Speak," she asked of the soldier from Griffonstone.

"A scout from Fort Guto said there was an Equestrian Army was spotted near Turtledove Run about three days march from here," Gabby said, Galiana went to her quarters to write a message back to the other forts to ready their troops to march, "I would say they number around three thousand strong, what are your orders, Countess?" she asked,

"Make sure the troops have full rations and ammunition, if there are 1500 troops to each fort, we need 500 troops from each fortress ready to march," Galiana said as she finished writing the letter with news from Gabby, "now then, my dear Gabby, I need for you to send this message to the other forts, have them ready to march by first light,"

"Yes, my countess," said Gabby, and flew off to Fort Adler and Fort Guto to send the message for the other troops to be ready for battle,

Meanwhile, the countess was preparing for battle with her Colard Double Action Pinfire Revolver, and an infantry sword called a 'Degen' at her side. She adjusted her peaked cap which had a black-green feather plume on the side of the cap which distinguished her as a commander, "Attention!" she ordered, and her soldiers followed, "as you were,"

"Now then, our time has come, we face an enemy that says we are inferior to them, if these ponies say they're better than us, I say prove it, prove it on the field as we shall do, my brothers...sisters, we face an enemy whose destiny is to wipe us off the face of our own land, they will give us no quarter, but still I stand by you all," Galiana praised.

Griffons wear black and dark green peaked caps with leather chin straps and a silver iron cross front and center, "Our enemy will fear us, the ponies maybe greater in number, but not in the strength of our hearts, their deeds will not go unpunished so rise up, now is the time to fight!" Galiana praised, all her soldiers cheered and raised up their rifles.

"Forward...MARCH!" ordered Gabby as she unsheathed her sword at her side, and soon five hundred griffon regulars were on the march.

Five hundred were needed from each fortress for the battle while five hundred manned the cannons and defended the fortresses under the command of officers. Equestria came into this war confident. For a soldier, the rifle is their best friend in battle, but one rifle would show the ponies that invading the Kingdom was a bad idea, the Wänzl rifle.


	2. Chapter 2

**My Little Pony: Jaeger**

 **Chapter 2: On the March**

The garrison at Fort Falke sent five hundred to meet the ponies in battle. With the troops came artillery in the form of two 9cm Krupp breech-loading cannons. Each contingent that came from the forts carried two artillery pieces for a combined battery of six cannons to support an army of 1500 troops to face an Equestrian army nearly 3000 strong.

With their rifles shouldered, and bayonets fixed, the spirits were high among the soldier as they marched the trails to meet with the other commanders. The griffons were outnumbered, but they had faith in their officers, especially Galiana Von Adler. Along the mountain trail, her troops met the first of the two other commanders for the troops.

"It is a pleasure to see you, Countess, I am Baron Gregorius Sperwer, the commander of Fort Adler," He greeted with a salute, and the countess saluted back,

"A pleasure indeed," she replied with her second-in-command at her side, "and this is Gabby, I have never had anyone better as a captain under my wing,"

"Hoe maakt u het?," said the Dutch-accented commander, and gave her a kiss on the talon. The peregrine falcon-snow leopard griffon is known for being handsome and charming with the ladies, "well, we best make camp and wait for our other commander to..." right as he said that, the last commander showed up for the meeting, "arrive,"

"Sorry for my tardiness," said the last commander catching her breath, and holding down her peaked cap with a free talon while her troops marched in orderly behind her, "Countess Genevieve Van De Falke, commander of Fort Guto, once again I apologize for being late, the blasted rocks on the trail made it difficult to get our artillery moving,"

A creamy corn, potato, and bacon soup was served by the army cooks as they made camp, "There is no doubt that Equestria outnumbers us," said Baron Sperwer,

"We have advanced weapons, the ponies are still relying on the Minie Ball cartridge, and now use self-contained cartridges for pistols and carbines," said Genevieve,

"A weapon is only as good as the soldier using it," said Galiana, and pulled out a small map, "the ponies will use shock tactics by utilizing large artillery barrages, what we will do is combine our troops into small groups, two lines each, when the first line fires, they pull back, and then the second line fires into the ranks, and move in while reloading,"

"Our troops will move in closer after the rank behind them fires their shot," said Baron Sperwer, and ate a spoonful of his supper, "we should have two cannon supporting each group, our breech-loaders have a higher rate of fire than the Equestrian Parrott Rifles, we can concentrate more fire where it is needed," Galiana nodded in agreement.

"The question now is how shall we divide up our troops for battle? The greatest number should be in the force attacking head on," stated Countess Van De Falke,

"The heaviest concentration of pony troops will be in the front, our losses maybe highest in that concentration of our troops," said Countess Von Adler,

Baron Sperwer sighed, "This is war, Countess, our soldiers will be remembered as heroes, but sacrifices must be made, we cannot expect everyone to come home alive," He said, Galiana rolled up the map, and adjourned the meeting in her tent, her troops all needed their rest. They morning came without any attacks in the night from the enemy.

She patted the shoulder of the camp sentry with a smile for doing his job. The troops readied themselves, and moved out of the camp to march onto the field. There was no sign of the enemy while the Krupp guns were rolled into position. Gabby came up to Galiana whom was watching over the movements of her troops near one of the cannons,

"When will it begin?" Gabby asked, resting a talon on the pommel of her sword and looking out at the field. Galiana looked over at Gabby, and back at the field.

"Soon," said the Countess as she checked the cylinder in her pinfire revolver to make sure her pistol is loaded, "make no mistake, they are out there, they will come,"

Soldiers were checking their weapons, and smoking cigarettes. For some, those hand rolled cigarettes maybe the last ones they ever smoke. Some were drinking coffee from their mess tin cups, and talking about their families or the stories they heard of the brutality of the Equestrian Army on their homes. Many of these soldiers don't have homes.

Their homes were destroyed by Equestrian troops that marched through the countryside. Their homes are the forts they were stationed at, or the tents they made in camp. They remembered the flames burning bright, and the smoke billowing into the sky. They remembered the screams of innocent griffons that were silenced by Equestrian guns.

"We didn't ask for this war, but still they invade our kingdom, why?" asked Gabby, her turquoise eyes looked up at Galiana and looked for an answer from her,

"The answer is in the very name of the land, Gabby...Equestria," replied Galiana, "and we are not ponies, thus we do not belong here in their eyes, blinded eyes,"

"But this is our land, and we will not give it up without a fight!" said Gabby proudly, the Countess admired the spirit of the young captain, suddenly there came a great sea of redcoats coming from the sky, and the rumble of hooves shook the ground. Cannons were loaded with shells into the breech, and rifles were loaded with metallic cartridges.

"Gritish Troops," said Galiana in observation,"will they ever learn?" she asked rhetorically looking at the troops getting into position, and wearing their red coats in pride. The Gritish Ponies were forming a firing line. The drummer colts sounded the advance of the troops onto the field. The first battle of the Equestria-Griffon War was about to begin.

With shells in the breeches of the cannons, and at the ready. Gregorius gave the order with a signal from his talon, "Fire!" said an officer in the artillery corps.

The Krupp cannons sounded like thunder, and rained down shells upon the ponies. Dozens fell to the artillery barrage. The commander of the Gritish Troops was the Earl of Grey, "Odd, the cannons are firing at our troops, but where are those blasted catbirds?" he pondered, but little did he know that he was sending his veteran troops into a trap.


	3. Chapter 3

**My Little Pony: Jaeger**

 **Chapter 3: Mighty Eagle (Battle of Turtledove Run)**

What the Earl of Grey did not know was that the griffon troops were there. Their dark green and black coats provided the griffon troops with camouflage. Once the Gritish Regulars were in range, the griffons came up from the grass and fired upon the unsuspecting ponies. White puffs of smoke came from the barrels of their Wanzl Rifles.

The ponies did not know what hit them. The ponies fell like briar bushes to a scythe. The first line moved back, and reloaded their rifles while the second line came forward, and opened fire. A shell from a 20 pounder Parrott Rifle sped through the griffon lines. A griffon soldier screamed, and was silenced when the speeding shell decapitated her.

A splatter of blood hit the soldier next to her, and looked at the sight in horror as the headless griffon fell to her knees, and fell chest first on the grassy field. The Gritish did manage to inflict a few casualties on the griffon fusiliers, but not as many as the griffons did. The first line came back, and fired upon the ponies inflicting very heavy losses.

Another shell made it's way into the griffon ranks, and shot off a griffons talon while other shells were hitting their marks in the griffon troops throwing up dirt and shrapnel in all directions. Dozens of griffons fell to the shelling. With bayonets fixed, the Gritish charged the griffon forward ranks, and the griffons yelled their battle-cry, and charged.

Anything that could be used as a weapon was in the carnage of battle from bayonets to belt axes, and boot knives. The cries of the dead, and the dying filled the summer air and made the small creek run red with Gritish blood. The griffon troops broke through the first detachment, "So these filthy rats think they can win? Well we'll see about that,"

"Captain, send in the reserves, and concentrate on the middle...we'll see who takes the run," ordered the Earl of Grey pointing his sword to where he wants the troops,

"Yes, my lord," saluted the captain, and pointed his sabre to the attacking griffons and joined the reserves in battle, "take aim, lads!" he yelled in the chaos of battle. The artillery corps adjusted the archs, and fired into the reserves. Shrapnel flew into the ranks, killing ponies, and even a drummer-colt. When the rifles aimed, Galiana attacked.

Before he could give them the order to fire, a 12mm pistol round hit him in the temple from Galiana's revolver, "Feuer!" she yelled, and her troops fired into flanks of the reserve ranks. The veteran Gritish began to panic. They had never seen rifles that could fire at the rate they were used to. They were all getting shot at from all directions.

Countess Von Adler's troops attacked the left flanks while Countess Van De Falke attacked the right. Their soldiers executed their tactics flawlessly. Baron Sperwer attacked what was left of the forward ranks. The Gritish turned fire to defend the flanks. The griffon troops charged the flanks with a few falling to the pony barrage. It was not enough.

The griffons clashed into the flanks. The ponies put up a fight against an enemy they deemed inferior. Galiana showed she had an eagle eye as she was felling Gritish regulars with her revolver. After firing her six shots from her pistol, she unsheathed her 'Degen' sword, and cut down any Gritish pony soldier that got in her way. Galiana was a force.

Gabby showed she was not only adorable, but skilled with a sword and revolver. Gabby nodded to her superior officer, and Galiana nodded back and continued the fight. The Earl of Grey knew he had been outmatched. He gritted his teeth as troop's numbers dwindled. He looked at one of his commanders, and gave the order, "Sound the retreat,"

"Sound! Retreat...," said the Earl of Grey's demoralized commander, and the bugle and drums sounded a full scale retreat of the Gritish troops as they fled from the field.

The griffon troops cheered, and raised their rifles, and swords to the cloudy sky. The large white flag with a black crowned double-headed eagle in it's center flew over the fields of Turtledove Run. The battle was a victory, but it came with a cost. The griffons lost 250 troops in the battle while the Gritish were annihilated, suffering 2800 casualties

The field was covered with the dead of the enemy, and their own. Some were missing limbs, while others were facedown on the field. Their white eyes were staring up at the sun as they fell side by side with the enemy in the defense of the Griffon Kingdom. The Wanzl Rifle proved to be the superior firearm to the battletested Pattern 1853 Enfield.

The fallen griffons were buried in a field about a mile away. A stone cross marked were the soldiers were buried. The griffons proved themselves to be a worthy adversary to the ponies, and Equestria was left to lick it's wounds. Wounded griffons were tended to by nurses. They had head wounds, bullet wounds, and stumps where limbs used to be.

Screams came from the doctor's tent as his bonesaw reaped a harvest of flesh and limbs that were beyond saving. Soldiers were served supper: a soup of pulled and roasted chicken and kielbasa with rice in a spiced chicken stock. It was a simple meal, but it warmed up the spirits of those that survived the battle in their bodies, and in their morale.

Gabby was eating her meal, and seeing to the soldiers. Meanwhile, Earl of Grey returned back to Cantorlot to tell Princess Celestia of the defeat at Turtledove Run. The most powerful army had been defeated for the first time. She looked out at the mountains to the north, "What are your orders, your majesty?" asked Earl of Grey to the Princess,

"Your orders will remain the same, Equestria is for Ponies, kill them all, tercels, hens, hatchlings, I don't care, leave none alive," Princess Celestia ordered to the Earl,

The Earl of Grey bowed to the princess and made his leave of the palace, and flew back to the Gritish Isles. Meanwhile in the Griffon Kingdom, the griffons held the field, and sat around the fires to help them keep warm on those cold nights in the mountain valleys. The war was far from over, and Galiana knew her troops had to stand their ground.


	4. Chapter 4

**My Little Pony: Jaeger**

 **Chapter 4: Equestria**

It is said that the First Equestrian-Griffon War was the war where the old tactics died, and the armies of the kingdoms entered the modern age. The Battle of Turtledove Run was a disaster for the allied Equestrian troops. The war dragged on with defeats for the Equestrian troops at the River Grover, Adlerland Fields, and the Siege of Hawksbill.

One of the advantages the griffons had over ponies were their use of tactics from dug-in trenches to advancements in rifle technology. The griffons replaced their aging Wanzl rifles with a new service rifle, the Sharps-Borchardt M1878. Griffon gunsmiths modified the safety system so it didn't have to be disengaged after each cycling of the action.

There was an arms race between the warring kingdoms. The Equestrian Army now had the Trapdoor Springfield and the Remington Rolling-Block. The Gritish troops had the Martini-Henry rifle. The quick loading time of the Sharps-Borchardt rifle with the modified safety system made the new service rifle a beloved companion to the Griffon Troops.

Griffons found their new rifles were perfect for the ambush. The Gritish hated this rifle, and would shoot on sight any Griffon soldier they captured that happened to have the rifle. Gritish officers had to be on their hooves and wings when traveling through forest trails and fields. The feared Griffon Kingdom 'Jaeger' troops would harass the Gritish.

The Griffons wanted to ware out the Gritish, and the constant attacking did that. The Gritish were ambushed by the Griffons two times a day for the next three months of the war. At the annual summit of the commanders by Princess Celestia, the Gritish Commander, Earl of Grey, put his hoof down, "Your majesty, we must pull out of the north!"

"Do I sense doubt in you?" asked the Princess, turning to the Gritish Commander

The unicorn stallion in uniform furthered his suggestion to her, "The griffons are a stronger opponent than we anticipated, and we're paying for our mistakes with our lives, no matter what we do, all the atrocities we have committed against them, it only adds more fuel to their fire, I beg of you to consider this, we cannot win this war!" he pleaded,

Princess Celestia smiled a motherly smile to the commander, and nodded lightly, "I understand your concerns, Earl of Grey," said Princess Celestia getting up from her throne, and put a hoof on his shoulder and leading him toward a window, "then with your concerns in mind, I suggest...a change in RANK!" just then, Princess Celestia threw him out.

The Earl of Grey screamed as he was taken by surprise, and Princess Celestia threw him out the window. With a loud 'thump!' the Earl landed headfirst on the stone walkway below. The royal guards went to the body where their was a splat of blood on the stone walkway. They all looked up at Celestia at the window, and went back to their posts.

"Does anypony else have any concerns I should know about?" she asked, the commanders were silent in the face of Princess Celestia, "good," she said with a smile and nod to her commanders. Princess Celestia then called forth the deceased Earl's replacement, "Fleur Dis Lee, congratulations, you have just been promoted to lead the Gritish Troops,"

"Now that everything is settled, you have orders and they will remain your orders unless I say otherwise," Celestia said to her commanders, "kill them all, I want the Griffon Kingdom wiped off the face of Equestria, this is our land, a land for ponies, and we are enforcing that, if I have to put all the Griffon Kingdom to fire and sword, then so be it"

"Do I make myself perfectly clear?" Princess Celestia asked her officers,

"Yes, your majesty," they all said in unison, and the meeting was adjourned. The very next day, she ordered extra troops into the Griffon Kingdom to reinforce the Equestrian Troops. The Griffons were now a thorn in Princess Celestia's belly, one that twists in the wound. An Equestrian supply train was attacked, and raided by Griffon Jaeger troops.

The ammunition was taken along with other items like blankets and medical supplies. In the Griffon Kingdom at the walls of the three mountain fortresses, the crows feasted on the bodies of the dead ponies that covered the hills. The Griffons did not shoot the ponies that came to collect the dead, "Why do they keep fighting like this?" asked Gabby

"It is all they can do, Gabby, they all have their orders, a good soldier must follow them," said Galiana watching ponies take cartloads filled with dead bodies away from the field. The Griffons covered their beaks with white cloths because of the putrid smell of rotting flesh in the air, "as this war drags on, I do pity our enemy," said the countess,

The morale was low for the Ponies. Even with sheer numbers, the Griffons were holding out against their invading armies. Many regions in the Griffon Kingdoms were reduced to ash at the will of Princess Celestia, and villages were burned. Some of the images that Galiana has seen that reflect the brutality of Princess Celestia still haunt her dreams.

One of the greatest atrocities committed by Equestria's armies was a raid upon on a hospital. Innocent pregnant griffons were tied to wooden posts, and shot in the head by firing squad in the courtyards. Eggs were smashed, and griffon cubs were either shot or used for bayonet practice. It is then that griffons knew that this was an extermination.

Fleur Dis Lee went to the walls of the fortresses, "Lay down your weapons, you filthy catbirds!"

With her at his side was Flash Sentry, another one of Princess Celestia's commanders. Suddenly, a shot rang out from the fort from a slit in one of the turrets. A young griffon named Gabby took the shot, and hit Flash Sentry between the eyes on Galiana's orders, "You wvant our wveapons? Come and claim zhem!" said Galiana from the fort catwalk.

"Heed my warning, Countess, it doesn't matter how many battles you win, you can't hold out forever, Equestria will crush you and your troops!" Fleur Dis Lee bellowed back to the griffon, Galiana watched as Flash Sentry was dragged by his back legs with his red blood painting the trail back to the Equestrian Camp with the help of two other soldiers.

"Good shot, Gabby," said Galiana, "it seems our enemy must always choose zhe hard way"


End file.
